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4Sheets-Shet 1. P. HILLE. I Machine for Cleaning and Polishing Boots and Shoes.

No. 228.073. Patented May 25,1880.

q Witnesss:

NPETERS, FHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D, C.

1 I v Mums- 1 9 61; 2.

. Y P. HILLE. Machine for Gleaningand Polishing Boots andShoes.

No. 228,073. Patented May-25,1880.

MPHERS. PHOTO LTMOGRAPHER WASHINGTON n C .4 Sheets-Sheet,

V 'P. HIL LE. Machine for Gleainingand Polishing vBoots and Ehoes.

i No. 228,073. Patented May 25, I880.

Inventor:

. [4 Sheets-Sheet 4-. P. Y HILLE.

Machine -for Cleaning and Polishing Boots and Shoes? Patented May 25, 1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

PAUL HILLE, OF UNION, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONEFHALF OF HIS RIGHT TO LOUIS O. HAUENSTEIN, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE'FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING BOOTS AND SHOES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 228,073, dated May 25, 1880. Application filed January 16, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL HILLE, a citizen of the United States, of the town of Union, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cleaning and Polishing Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for cleaning, blacking, and polishing boots and shoes upon the feet of the wearer or otherwise.

Its object is to provide a strong, simple, and

cheap machinewhich will thoroughly clean, black, and polish boots and shoes rapidly and with slight exertion on the part of the operator.

It consists, mainly, in the combination, in a boot and shoe blackin g machine, of reciprocating side brushes, working alternately in opposite directions to each other, an oscillating heelbrush following and overlapping'the path of each of said side brushes in its forward move ment, and a reciprocating toe-brush arranged to move toward each side of the boot or shoe as the side brush on that side moves rearwardly, whereby the entire surface of the boot or shoe is at the same time subjected to the reciprocating action of the brushes.

It also consists in the combination, with each of the reciprocating side brushes, of swinging blanking-applying brushes connected thereto, suitable blacking-box holders, and devices for swinging said blacking-applying brushes upward to pass over said holders and upon blacking in boxes supported by said holders on the forward movement of said side brushes, and swinging the said blacking-applying brushes downward and in contact with the boot or shoe when said side brushes move rearward.

It consists, further, in a novel construction of curved brush having its back form ed of soleleather, kerfed on its inner surface, and held in shape by a suitable metallic spring or springs secured to its outer surface.

It consists, besides, in certain novel constructions and combinations of devices for operating the brushes and other working parts of the machine.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine asin use. Fig. 2

is a top view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a bottom view. Fig. 5 is a view, in detail, of the slide and brush operating levers. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the side brushes and one of the blacking-applying brushes. Fig. 7 illustrates a modification of the slide-mover.

The letter A designates the bed-plate, supported by legs a, and having at its edges an upward'projecting flange, b, which, at each side of the bed-plate, near the toe, is cut away, for a purpose which will presently appear. At about the center of the bed-plate is arranged an elevated foot-support, 0, between which and the flange b is the receptacle into which falls the dirt brushed from the boot or shoe by the brushes at the commencement of the operation of the machine.

From the opposite sides of the bed-plate, at front and rear, project arms d, which support guide-rods D for the side and blanking-apply ing brushes. Upon each of these guide-rods is mounted a sliding pedestal, E, through the base of which the guide-rod passes. At its top each pedestal E has a tubular cross-head, F, standing at right angles to the guide-rod, and in this tubular cross-head slides a pin, G, to the inner end of which is pivoted a brush, H, by means of a flat stud, 71., which projects from the back of said brush at about its center. The pin G is surrounded by a spiral spring, g, one end of which bears. against the cross-head and the other against a pin, g, which passes through the inner end of said pin, and said pin Gris prevented from turning by a spline fitting in a groove in its periphery and projecting from the inner surface of the tubular cross-head.

0n the top edge of the brush H is a sleevebearing, 6, in which turns a short shaft, j, which projects from and is firmly fixed to a stud, j, on the top edge of a swinging brush,

J. The other end of the shaft j, which pro-.

jects through its sleeve-bearing, has fixed to it an arm, 70, the outer end of which is pivoted to a rod, K, which projects downward below the bed-plate and slides vertically in a bearing, 1, on the back of brush H, near its lower edge. To the bearing Z is attached one end of a spiral spring, 1, the other end of which is attached to the rod K near its upper end.

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The spring tends to draw said rod downward, and consequently to keep the blacking-brush J down in line with the brush H.

On each side of the bed-plateis a guideplate, N, the rear portion of which inclines downwardly, terminating in a plane below the end of rod K, while its front portion is horizontal. N ow, if the pedestal E is moved forward on its guide-rod the lower end of the rod K will strike the upper surface of said plate N, ride up its incline, throwing upward the arm is and brush J, bringing said brush to a horizontal position, so that as the rod K moves along the horizontal portion of the guide-plate said brush will be brought in contact with the blacking in a box, M, supported in proper position upon the end of a yoke, m, which curves around the front end of the bed-plate and carries a blacking-box holder at each end.

The yoke will be more particularly hereinafter described.

To the bottom of each sliding pedestal E is jointed alink, O, which extends rearward, and is pivoted to the end of an equal-armed lever, O, fulcrumed at its center under the bed-plate upon the central supporting-leg, a. From one of the arms of this lever Oa short arm, 0, projects forward, and has adownward-projecting pin, 0, which passes through aslot in an arm, 19, projecting laterally from the slide P. (See Figs. 4 and 5.) This slide P has at its rear end a slot, P, which embraces the rear leg, 01, and rests upon a collar, a, upon said leg, and said slide has in its forward end a slot, P, which embraces a pin, p projecting downward from the bed-plate. The forward end of said slide has laterally-projecting arms (1 q, which are bent forward and connected by a cross-bar, Q.

The laterally-projecting portion of the arm q has a slot, g, which embraces a pin projecting downward from the end of one arm of a bell-crank lever, B, the other end of which is bifurcated to embrace the lower end of an oscillating lever, S, which projects through a slot in the bed-plate, and is pivoted to the front or toe portion of the flange b, which partially surrounds said bed-plate. The upper end of this lever carries a rearwardly-extending curved spring, S, which carries a curved brush, T, with an elastic back. Said brush projects over the front portion of the foot-support, and has a shape conforming approximately to the front portion of a boot or shoe.

From the center of the lever O, at the rear of the machine, ashort arm, 0, projects rearwardly, and has a hinged standard, pro.- jecting upwardly. To the top of the standard is secured one end of a bent spring, 0 which curves forward and downward, and carries a curved elastic-backed heel-brush, U, in position to embrace the heel of a boot or shoe placed upon the supportO when said standard stands about vertically. From said standard 0 an arm, a projects forward at a right angle over the flange b and into a recess formed in the rear end of the foot-support O. A

spring, a is attached to the upper side of the arm 0, and bears against the under side of arm a forcing said arm. normally upward and the standard 0 backward, so that the brush U is held back in convenient position for placing the foot upon the support 0. When the brush is in this position the inner end of arm a is elevated above the foot-support, and when the heel of the boot is placed upon the end of this arm it is forced down, so that the heel may rest upon the support 0, and brings the brush U forward, so as to work snugly against the rear portion or'heel of the boot.

From the front end of the bed-plate A an arm, V, curves upward and forward, and has a collar, V, pivoted to its upperend, through which passes the operating-lever W, the lower end of which passes loosely through an aperture in the front bar, Q, which connects the arms (1 and q, projecting from the stud P.

The yoke m, before referred to, is pivoted at its center to the arm V, which passes through a slot in said yoke, a portion of which stands in front of the arm, and to the front edge of the arm is pivoted a swinging stop, 1;, provided with a curved foot hanging downward.

This stop is of such length that when brought.

to a vertical position it will force downward the front center portion of the yoke, and consequently elevate its ends to bring the blacking-boxes in the path of the brushes J when the latter are swung upward; but when the stop is thrown to one side the ends of the yoke fall, and then the blacking-brushes will pass over the blacking-boxes and not take blackin g therefrom.

The blacking-box holder is a circular plate provided with spring-fingers w, to embrace and hold the box, and said plate is pivoted centrally upon the top of a screw, to, which passes through the end of the yoke, and by which the box-holder may be elevated as the blacking 18 used therefrom, in order to insure the taking of blacking by the brush.

The backs of the curved brushes T and U are formed of sole-leather, and are held in proper shape by metallic springs a, secured to their outer surfaces, said backs being given a proper degree of flexibility by cutting transverse kerfs a between each row of bristles; or more kerfs may be out, if desired.

Instead of using the spring S on the lever S, said lever may be cast to curve over the front of the foot-support and carry a tubular cross-head, to which the brush T may be connected as the side brushes, H, are to the cross-' heads of pedestals E.

The operation of the machine as now described is as follows: When the foot is placed upon the support 0 andthe operatinglever W is worked back and forth, the slide P is reciprocated, and its slotted arm 19, engaged with short arm of lever 0', causes said lever to oscillate, carrying the brush U around the heel of the boot, and, through links 0 moving the pedestals E upon their guide-rods D, rubbing one of the side brushes along the side of IIS the boot toward the toe, while. the other is drawn backward, the heel brush following each of said side brushes as it moves forward, and keeping out of the way of the brush movin g backward. These side brushes being pivoted centrally to the pin G and forced against the boot by the spring g around said pin, said brushes swing to conform to the shape of the boot. The slotted arm q, projecting from the front portion of the slide through the bell-crank lever B, oscillates the lever S and causes the brush T to 'rub transversely over the top of the boot from edge to edge of the sole and across. the toe, said brush moving toward each side of theboot as the side brush is moving backward therefrom. It will be seen that the brushes follow' and overlap the paths of each other, and the entire surface ofthe boot is at the same time under the action of the brushes, and the blackin g applied by the swinging brushes is communicated to all. At each forward movement of the side brushes the blacking-app1yingbrushes are raised and take blacking from the boxes, as before described, and as said brushes leave the boxes, owing to their downward brushing pressure upon the outer edges thereof, they cause said boxes to turn somewhat, so that in their next movement the brushes will strike the blacking at a different point, and thus the latter will be used evenly from the boxes.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the lateral arm (1 and bar Q are left off the slide P, and the operating-lever is dispensed with. In this form the slide P is slotted through its center and provided with transverse bearings B 13', between and against which works an eccentric, G, carried bya belt-wheel, W, which is journaled upon a stud, w, projecting downward from the bed-plate through the central slot of the slide.

Motion may be communicated to the beltwheel W by a belt connected with any suitable motor.

What I claim is 1. In a boot and shoe blacking machine, the combination of the side brushes reciprocating alternatelyin opposite direction to each other, the oscillating heel-brush following and overlapping the path of each of said side brushes in its forward movement, and the reciprocating toe-brush arranged to move toward each side as the side brush on that side moves rearward, substantially as described, whereby the entire surface of the boot or shoe is at the same time subjected to the reciprocating action of the brushes.

2. The combination, with the bed-plate, of the slide P, suitably supported on the under side thereof, the oscillating lever O, operated by suitable connection with said slide and carrying the heel-brush U, the alternately-reciprocating side brushes moving on suitable guides and connected to the opposite ends of said levers O, and the toe-brush T, carried by the oscillating lever S, operated through suitable intermediate connections by said slide, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with each of the reciprocating side brushes, of the swinging blacking-brushes connected thereto, the blackingbox holders, and devices for swinging said blacking-brushes upward to pass over said holders and upon the blacking in boxes supported by said holders at each forward movement of said side brushes, and swinging them downward and in contact with the boot or shoe when said side brushes move rearward, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, with the brushes operating substantially as described, of the bedplate having the flange b and the central footsupport, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the reciprocating side brushes, H, provided with bearings i, the blacking-applying brushes having the short shafts j projecting through said bearings, the springactuated rods K, connected with said shafts through arms 70, and the guides N, projecting from the bed-plate and arranged to force said rods upward at each forward movement of said side brushes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with the sliding pedestals E, provided with the tubular cross-heads, of the pins Gr, surrounded by the spiral springs bearing against said cross-heads, and the reciprocating side brushes, H, pivoted to the inner ends of said pins, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the bed-plate and the reciprocating side brushes and the swinging blacking-brushes, of the pivoted yoke m, adapted to carry blacking-boxes at each end, and the swinging stop '0, for holding said yoke 1n position to elevate its ends, or release it to permit said ends to fall, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with the swinging reciprocating blacking-brushes J, of the adjustable blacking-box holders, arranged to rotate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a boot and shoe blacking machine, the curved brushes having their backs formed of sole-leather kerfed on its inner side, and held in shape'by suitable springs secured to their outer surfaces, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with slide P and the bed-plate having the arm V projecting therefrom, of the operating-lever W, fulcrumed on said arm and having its lower end connected with said slide, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL HILLE.

Witnesses:

JAMES M. WRIGHT, JAMES A. RUTHERFORD. 

